Pain Pleasure And Purpose by Apostle Emmanuel Iren: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Matthew 6:25-33

The devil's ultimate goal is to distract you from purpose. Whatever it takes to do that, he will do it. Consider: the same devil who makes some people poor is trying to offer riches to others. He offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world on that mountain. So what does he want? The goal is not riches or poverty — the goal is anything that can distract you from purpose.

There are those here for whom, if an alert of five billion naira came right now, this would be the last time we see them in church. And even the things that were consecration to them, they would begin to make excuses. This is serious. The devil is constantly looking for your price.

"Don't Worry" — The Hardest Command

Matthew 6:25 says: "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life — what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, or your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"

This can only happen by faith. It is impossible by logic. Even for a man of God it is not easy. Yet it is right there in the word of God. And the reason you must learn this is because your life will be consumed by anxiety if you don't.

You were anxious about common entrance. Then secondary school. Then WAEC. Then JAMB. Then university. Then a job. Then marriage. Then children. The goalpost never stops moving. If I only had this, I would be happy — but when you get it, there is already the next thing to chase. Anything you say would make your life complete if you only had it — that thing is an idol.

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33

Notice the first word: but. That word is important. It is disruptive. It means: in spite of these things, whether or not you have them — seek first. The average Christian can seek God first when things are comfortable. But can you seek God first when you are sick? When you are broke? When you have been praying for a spouse and you have none?

It doesn't matter the emergency in your life — God must still be your first prayer point. A Christian trusting God for healing still seeks God first. A person trusting God for a job still seeks God first. A lot of church people don't know this. When there is lack in your life, you think you have a legitimate reason to make every prayer request about that lack. It's almost as if you have given God a sick condition — until you fix this one thing, you will not pray about anything else.

The Goal of the Devil

Listen: the devil's ultimate goal is to make sure you do not fulfil your purpose. He will do that either by giving you plenty or by trying to bring lack. Different things work for different people. There are some people the devil will never stop their cash flow — because when they are poor, they will draw closer to God. And there are some people prosperity will destroy because they have not built the capacity to handle it without contradiction.

A man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lusts and enticed. For some people, receiving ten billion is a testimony. For some others, it is a temptation. The same situation — different results based on what is inside the person.

That is why sometimes there are blessings God wants to give us that we have to wait for — because we have not yet built the capacity to handle them without contradiction.

Seek First in Prison — The Story of Joseph

When Joseph was stripped and auctioned as a slave, the Bible says he was a prosperous man. Not because he had possessions — they took everything. But prosperity was in him. It wasn't private jets that made him wealthy.

If all you have is money, you are poor.

In Potiphar's house, the same thing he was doing in his father's house, he was doing in captivity. In prison, everywhere he went he was preferred — because there was something about his heart. When they threw him in prison for a false accusation, that still didn't break him. He didn't change.

If he had become bitter in prison — if a few disappointments had made him refuse to see others — he would have missed his way out. But he still woke up and saw the countenance of the other prisoners, that they were sad. Despite all he was going through, he went to them. "Why are you sad?" They told him they had a dream. He said: "God interprets dreams — tell me." That was his way out of prison.

You may be in pain, but ministry is still your way out.

Abraham was praying for people in Abimelech's house to receive children — while his own wife Sarah was still trusting for the same thing. When he found himself being a blessing to others in the very area of his own need, look at what happened next: Genesis 21:1 — "And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said."

Many times, the only way out of a trial is to put purpose above the pain and be a blessing to people who are going through the very thing you are going through. When Job prayed for his friends, his captivity was turned around. Don't let your pain make you miss the opportunity to minister.

The Same Thing Can Be a Trial or a Temptation

You may also like

I Shall Not Die: Secrets To Long Life

by Apostle Joshua Selman

arrow_forward

Your coach — who is on your side — takes you to fight an opponent. Why? Because that is the only way to test the efficacy of what he has been teaching you. The opponent wants to destroy you. Your coach wants to promote you. The same problem, two entirely different purposes.

The Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. The same wilderness experience that the devil intended as destruction, the Spirit intended as promotion.

• Your destiny is so special — but it requires that you put purpose above pleasure.
• The only way the spirit realm knows you are ready for a level of responsibility is through trials.
• He that is faithful in little is faithful in much.

In the temptation of Jesus, the devil said: "Turn stone to bread." What did Jesus say? "It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone." A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

Philippians 2:5-9: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus — who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to grasp. He humbled himself, made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death — even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted him.

What makes Christ Christ is that he always put purpose above pleasure. They slapped him. They spat on him. He could have changed his mind at any point. But not only did he take it — he was obedient not just to weeping but unto death, even the death of the cross. And at any moment, thinking about others: on the way to the cross he told the weeping women, "Weep not for me." Moments before he died, he was thinking about Mary's welfare, handing her to John. On the cross itself, with nails in his wrists, he said: "Father, forgive them — they don't know what they are doing."

Seek First in Every Season

Some of you only want to interpret dreams in the palace. You don't want to interpret in prison. That is not how to be a man of God. In season and out of season. When there is reward and when there isn't. Before they make you prime minister for interpreting dreams, you would have interpreted for free many times. People will look down on you, take you for granted, use your gifts for nothing. But all those things are setting you up for a lifting.

Stay thankful. See what God is doing in your life. Trust him. There are seasons in our lives when we don't understand why we are going through what we are going through. But count it all joy. The enemy intended it to bring you down — but it is making you stronger.

What can separate you from the love of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or peril, or nakedness, or sword? In all these things we are more than conquerors through Christ who strengthens us. Romans 8:37

Have you looked at all the devil can do and concluded: nothing will be able to separate me? His biggest weapon cannot bring you down. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Now is the time to show your love for him. The people who sacrifice for him — if they sat you down and told you what they were going through while they were in ministry, you would be amazed.